


The Run and Go

by lostonthisisland



Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-02
Updated: 2014-07-24
Packaged: 2018-01-21 14:14:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1553297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostonthisisland/pseuds/lostonthisisland
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Thelma and Louise adaptation fic. :) If you've never seen it - the boys are on the run from police after they commit murder.</p><p>-probably abandoned, sorry-</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Fired?"

 

Josh was looking at him with shock.

 

Taking another swig of vodka, Tyler just shook his head, "Mr. Gable said I ' _stole_ from the _company_ ,' or whatever." he said, making exaggerated air quotes while he spoke; his vodka sloshing noisily inside its bottle.

 

They were in Tyler's messy apartment where empty bottles and cans of beer were lying strewn about the floor of his living room. Josh kicked a can out of his way and sat down next to his friend, taking the bottle of vodka from his hand.

 

"Enough of this, you don't need to drink anymore."

 

Tyler watched with glazed eyes as the bottle was set out of reaching distance before he sighed and dropped his head to the back of the couch, "I've never stolen a day in my life."

 

"You think they lied about it?" Josh didn't have a hard time believing his friend. He knew Tyler, the guy was squeaky clean, not even a speeding ticket. He was too perfect for his own good. At least, he was to Josh.

 

"No..." Tyler made some flapping motions in the air with his hands, fingers splayed wide, " _I_ think, that it was Michh...hull."

 

Josh frowned, "Mitchell? Your boss' son?"

 

His head still dropped to the back of the couch, Tyler tapped his nose with his index finger, indicating Josh was right. The guy worked alongside Tyler and Josh had heard many a times what a parasite he was.

 

"Why would he steal?"

 

"'Cause he's an asshole, what other reason do you need?" Tyler said, shrugging.

 

Josh watched his friend and frowned, "I'm sorry, man." It hurt to see him so miserable.

 

Since the day they met Josh had a crush on Tyler, unfortunately he was always too shy to do anything about it. As a result they'd been just friends for close to three years now. Josh always there to pick up the pieces when Tyler's boyfriend cheated on him, or his great uncle died or now, being fired for supposedly stealing.

 

Josh wished more than anything they could be something more. He wished more than anything that Tyler would see him the same way that he saw Tyler. But how could that be? Three years and nothing? Tyler would only ever see him as a friend.

 

He had tried. About six months after Dave, the cheating asshole boyfriend, Josh had suggested they go up to his cousin's cabin in Montana and stay for the week. Tyler had said there was no way he could take a whole week off from work.

 

Although, now of course...

 

"Hey!" Josh chirped, a little too loudly.

 

Tyler jumped next to him, his eyes opening tiredly.

 

"Sorry, didn't know you were... um, so I was thinking..." he scratched the back of his neck, nerves taking over. He was terrified of his idea being rejected again. Being in the middle of nowhere and close with Tyler was something that really excited him, "Remember my cousin's cabin? The one in Montana... well, last time I asked you if you wanted to go but you said no because of your job. Well... now... that you don't have... I mean, um, maybe we could go take a little vacation. Now that you... y'know."

 

"Got fired?"

 

Josh winced. He wasn't exactly being too sensitive on the issue, "God, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything, it's too soon."

 

"No. I wanna go."

 

"Really?" Josh said, perhaps too eagerly.

 

"Yea, 's a good idea. Le's go fishing. I wanna fish."

 

Josh laughed, "Yeah, we'll go fishing, buddy." He clasped Tyler on the knee and felt the jolt of nerves that ran through his body at the contact like it did every time they touched.

 

"Le's go soon." Tyler dropped his head back to the couch and closed his eyes, a smile lingering on his face.

 

This is what they needed, Josh decided, a vacation for Tyler and some alone time for Josh. Finally, he felt like things were headed in the right direction. Josh watched Tyler and grinned, butterflies growing in his stomach. Maybe he would even have the courage to tell Tyler how he felt.


	2. Chapter 2

It was about a day later, after the hangover had passed and he had cleaned up the empty bottles of liquor, that Tyler had called Josh back.

 

As it turned out, Josh's boss was way cooler than Tyler's and let him take off work, even with such short notice, so Tyler spent the day packing.

 

He packed enough clothes to last him two weeks because it never hurt to have options of what to wear on vacation. He packed three different kinds of footwear, sneakers, sandals and boots because he had no idea what kind of terrain they'd be dealing with in Montana. He packed the only fishing pole he owned and an umbrella, a couple different kinds of jackets and his mp3 player, his pillow, some snacks, toilet paper, just in case, batteries for his mp3 player, a swimsuit, a scuba mask, a tennis racket and a lot of other stuff he thought they might need.

 

Tyler eyed the two fully-stuffed suitcases and stuffed backpack on the floor of the living room. He wondered if there were bears by the cabin. Or wolves.

 

After some thought, Tyler went to the closet in his bedroom and pulled out the revolver his grandfather had given him before he died. He dumped the gun and the bullets in the backpack and figured that should be enough. Then he waited for Josh.

 

-//-

 

"Jesus, where are we going? To my cousin's cabin or to Africa?" Josh joked as he watched Tyler lug his suitcases and backpack out of his apartment.

 

"What? Too much?" Tyler asked, his face adorably innocent and Josh just shook his head.

 

"No, I've got room."

 

Josh got out and opened the trunk to his old Chevy convertible, the thing had been in his family for generations.

 

Tyler dumped the suitcases into the trunk before throwing his backpack in the backseat and hopping in the passenger's seat, "I can't believe we're driving to Montana. Y'know, I don't think I've ever left Ohio?"

 

"Really?"

 

"I dunno," Tyler shrugged, "Maybe when I was real little once. But still, this is gonna be fun. Thanks for inviting me, Josh."

 

Josh felt the world's dumbest grin stuck on his face and he just nodded, unable to say anything that wouldn't come out completely desperate and pathetic.

 

He started the car and laughed when Tyler flung his hands in the air, "Montana! Here we come! Screw you, Ohio!"

 

Turning out onto the road, Josh fixed his rearview mirror and caught sight of Tyler's backpack, "Hey, so what did you pack anyway?"

 

Tyler turned to glance at the bag in the backseat, "Oh, you know," he grinned at Josh, "Everything."

 

Josh felt his cheeks flush at Tyler's grin, "Okay, but what does 'everything' consist of?"

 

"The normal, socks, underwear, shirts, pants -oh!" Josh watched him turn and reach for the bag, his shirt rising and exposing smooth skin.

 

Quickly, he drew his eyes back to the road.

 

"Here," Tyler said, dropping the backpack on his lap, "I brought Bugles!"

 

Josh could hear the crinkle-crunch noise of a bag of chips being pulled out of the backpack, "Tyler, we like, _just_ got onto the road, you're gonna snack already?"

 

The noise stopped as Tyler hesitated, "Yeah, I guess you're right. Oh! But I brought cookies too-" More crinkle-shuffling and just as Josh turned onto the thru-way something fell from Tyler's bag and landed with a dull thump on the car floor.

 

"What was that?" Josh asked, busy trying to merge into traffic.

 

"I brought this-" Suddenly a gun was being brandished next to his face and Josh nearly lost control of the wheel.

 

"Jesus _Christ_ , Tyler!" He pushed Tyler's hand and the gun down and out of view. They were in a convertible for fuck's sake, people could see them, "Why do you have a _gun_?"

 

Tyler's voice pitched defensively, "I don't know! I thought there might be bears!"

 

The complete sincerity in his friend's voice just made Josh smile instead of get angry, "So you brought a gun." he laughed, "Would you put that away?"

 

Tyler stuffed the weapon back in his bag and dropped it in the backseat. He was smiling too.

 

 

They drove straight through Indiana and half of Illinois before stopping for something to eat.

 

Sitting across from each other in an old 50's diner, Tyler asked around a mouthful of fries, "So, when is Josh gonna get himself a boyfriend?" and it took Josh so off guard he almost choked on his milkshake.

 

Tyler grinned at him and he had no doubt that his face was turning red since his cheeks felt like they were on fire.

 

"C'mon, seriously," Tyler pushed away his food and focused his attention on Josh,  "In all this time we've been friends I don't think I've ever seen you with anybody else."

 

Wanting to squirm under Tyler's scrutiny, Josh just shrugged and toyed with his straw, "I don't know... Well, what about you?" He wanted badly to move the topic away from his love life, but regretted asking the second it was out. He didn't actually _want_ to know if Tyler was seeing anyone... it would just hurt more. Not to mention make this vacation of theirs extremely depressing.

 

"Me? Nah." Tyler's face grew somber as he looked away and played with his food, "Since Dave..." He thinned his lips and shook his head before looking back up at Josh, "No."

 

The tight smile Tyler gave him broke his heart a little and Josh was sorry he'd asked. So he instead he blurted out, "I like someone."

 

Tyler's face bloomed and he reached out to poke Josh in the shoulder, "What? Why didn't you tell me? Who is it?"

 

Looking at him then, his eyes bright and crinkling at the corner, Josh wanted to say. He wanted to reach across the table, hold Tyler's hands and say _You_.

 

Instead his mouth hung open and his eyes flicked back and forth between Tyler's as his brain froze and his heart cowered.

 

Luckily, the waitress came over and dropped their bill off at the table, which Josh gladly took and used as a distraction. He stole one last glance at Tyler before paying for the food and his pulse raced when it looked like maybe Tyler was figuring it out.

 

They drove in silence after that. Tyler took his turn driving and Josh curled up in the passenger seat and tried to get some sleep. Instead, he stayed up most of the night wondering what Tyler knew.


	3. Chapter 3

When Josh woke it was dark out and they were parked in front of a bar. Groggily, he sat up straight and stretched, looking across the front seat at Tyler.

 

"Where are we?"

 

"Somewhere in Iowa." Tyler said, not looking at him.

 

Josh yawned and stretched his neck, it was sore from having slept in the car for however many hours, "You didn't want to sleep while I drive?"

 

"I don't sleep." Tyler said distractedly and Josh frowned. He knew that Tyler was a bit of an insomniac but even they slept eventually.

 

"Kay, fine. What are we doing in front of a bar?"

 

Tyler shrugged and finally turned in his seat to face him, "Tired of driving. Thought we could have some fun." The smile he flashed Josh melted him and at that point Josh would have agreed to anything.

 

-//-

 

Inside, there was a band playing, something loud and full of guitar riffs, and a large group of people jumping around on the dance floor.

 

Tyler navigated them to the bar and shouted to the bartender for two beers. If he was honest with himself, the real reason he brought Josh here was to get him drunk and to get some answers. But he wasn't lying when he told Josh he was tired of driving and wanted some fun, either.

 

"Here!" Tyler shouted over the noise and raised his beer bottle to clink with Josh's. Grinning, he took a swig and turned to watch the band.

 

 

Tyler was about three beers in when he realized his plan had backfired and he was the tipsy one. Josh had only had about half a bottle.

 

He shrugged it off and figured he'd pry Josh for answers later. Something about their little conversation at the diner had him thinking maybe Josh's crush was him. But how could he think that? It just made him feel conceited to immediately think it was him that had Josh blushing like that.

 

Though, if he was honest with himself, he wasn't against it. Once upon a time when they first met, he did try to ask Josh out, but it went horribly wrong and he didn't think Josh even realized that's what he was trying to do.

 

But they had been friends for so long now, best friends actually, and was that something he wanted to jeopardize with a date?

 

He couldn’t be sure. On one hand, a big part of him still wanted Josh that way. When he had broken up with Dave he had the hardest time not throwing himself at his best friend. Josh was there the whole time, cleaning him up, pushing him out the door, keeping him from plummeting into a self loathing comatose. Josh was being the very saint of patience and understanding and all Tyler could think about was pulling him into bed and doing dirty things with him.

 

But that would have been wrong. If anything were to ever happen between them the last thing Tyler wanted was for it to be rebound sex. It didn’t matter anyway. He couldn’t throw away the best friendship he’d ever had over something so selfish.

 

"Hey," a deep, silky voice caught his attention, dragging him from his thoughts and Tyler turned to see a very attractive and very well built guy leaning on the bar next to him.

 

"Hi," He smiled and told himself he was reading too much into the Josh thing, he would deal with it later. Suddenly, he felt like flirting.

 

"Let me get you another beer." The guy said and Tyler smiled coyly, nodding.

 

They sat and talked over the noise of the bar for a while and Tyler told the guy, Brad, his name was, how he was going on vacation since he got fired.

 

"That's rough, I bet a sexy guy like you doesn't know what to do with himself all alone in the wilderness."

 

Tyler laughed a little uneasily, the guy was very forward but he figured it was just good fun, "Yeah, well I'm not actually alone. My friend is with me..." Tyler turned to point out Josh but his stool by the bar was abandoned. He searched the crowd in front of the band briefly but didn't see him.

 

"Oh yeah? Just a friend?"

 

"Yeah... he's somewhere."

 

"You want to go watch the band?" Brad asked and took a long pull of his own beer.

 

Tyler nodded and did the same with his drink and was about to leave it at the bar when Brad told him to take it. He shrugged and hung onto the beer as they got up and wedged their way into the throng of bodies.

 

They danced and bounced around to a couple of the songs, it was an older rock band that Tyler had never heard of. Brad started grinding on him a little obscenely and Tyler thought why the hell not and returned the dirty dancing, finishing his beer as he did.

 

He spotted Josh back at the bar and tried to wave him over, Josh just shook his head, a frown on his face. The guy didn't know how to have fun, Tyler thought.

 

When Tyler turned back around the room was spinning.

 

"Woah," he heard himself say and Brad had his arms around him, "You okay?"

 

"I don't know," he yelled above the crowd and then Brad was pushing him away from all the people. Suddenly he felt nauseous.

 

"Let's get you some fresh air."

 

Fresh air sounded like a good idea, Tyler thought, and let himself be pulled out into the parking lot.

 

"Sorry," he said, staggering beside Brad as they walked between cars, "I just got a little dizzy in there or something."

 

Tyler felt Brad's arms wrap around him but he still felt sick so he pushed at him, "Hey, sorry, you're too warm." he attempted a laugh but Brad's arms just tightened around him, then his mouth was on Tyler's neck.

 

"Hey, seriously, can you let go?" He pushed again and closed his eyes, trying to steady himself. The fresh air wasn't helping. Maybe he needed to sit down or-

 

Suddenly he was spun around and the movement made him want to vomit. He groaned as Brad started grinding on him. What the hell was wrong with this guy?

 

"C'mon, stop." Tyler tried to push him away for the third time but his strength just didn't seem to be there. He felt like a small child being pushed and pulled around by Brad.

 

There were hands at his belt, fingers deftly undoing his zipper and Tyler tried to focus on the person in front of him, "Stop it," He panicked for a moment and shoved as hard as he could at Brad's chest, finally dislodging the guy, "I said _stop_."

 

He was about to walk around Brad and go back inside and find Josh when a fist met his face.

 

Tyler cried out, pain blossoming everywhere as he fell hard onto the pavement. His hands flew to his face where his nose was gushing blood and he stared up at Brad, fear suddenly pouring into his limbs.

 

He tried to stand, tried to run but he couldn't. His muscles felt like sludge and Tyler crawled backward as best he could, looking up at Brad, "What did you do to me?" He realized this wasn't a dizzy spell, Brad must have done something, drugged him somehow? When he had his back to the bar? When he was watching the band? God, the beer he made him drink?

 

"Nobody says _no_ to me." Brad growled and he bent down and grabbed Tyler, picking him up and throwing him onto the hood of a car like he was a rag doll.

 

Pain shot through Tyler's chest as he was thrown onto the metal and he froze when he felt Brad behind him.

 

"Please, _stop_ -" He tried to say but Brad grabbed him by the back of the neck and pushed him into the hood.

 

He felt a hand at his belt and pants again and without thinking he screamed, " _Josh!_ "

 

"Your boyfriend can't hear you." Brad hissed and Tyler felt the hand on his neck leave and snatch at his flailing arms, pinning both his wrists at the small of his back.

 

His pants were ripped down and cold air tickled his thighs as he thrashed with all the power he had left in him. But whatever drug was running through his system was too strong and Brad just pushed him down harder, easily holding him into place.

 

The noise of the bar was loud from even outside but all Tyler could hear was white static as his pulse raced.

 

" _Please!_ " Tyler sobbed, feeling completely helpless, "Please, don't _do_ this!" He could taste his own blood, warm and coppery against the roof of his mouth.

 

He felt Brad's hands yanking at the waistband of his boxers and Tyler tried to buck him off again, but his strength was leaving him.

 

“Get _off_ of him!” Josh's voice rang through the parking lot and Tyler cried out with relief.

 

His friend’s voice sounded different than Tyler had ever heard it, there was a clear threat in the way he spoke and Tyler tried to turn and see him but Brad shoved his head back onto the hood of the car, his hold painfully tight on his neck and wrists.

 

" _Hey!_ " Josh sounded closer, "I _said_ , get. _off_. him."

 

There was the click of a gun cocking and Tyler felt Brad loosen his grip on his neck and wrists.

 

"You won't use that." He heard Brad say and jumped when he heard Josh scream,

 

"Let him go!"

 

Brad released him then, and Tyler felt himself slide and fall ungracefully to the pavement. He turned and saw Josh. He was standing five feet away from his attacker, both hands wrapped around Tyler’s revolver and a look of revulsion on his face. Josh’s whole body was taught like it was holding back a live wire, but his hands were trembling around the gun.

 

“Aw, c’mon,” Brad said, “We were just having a little fun.” And Tyler scowled, his idea of ‘fun’ was clearly fucked up.

 

“Tyler?” Josh asked and kept his eyes on Brad.

 

“Yeah,” He shuffled back awkwardly, away from Brad and toward his friend while trying to pull up his pants, “I’m okay.” His voice shook.

 

Josh waited until Tyler was behind him before he started to lower the gun, “Listen, when a guy’s screaming and crying like that, he’s not having any fun!”

 

Before they were able to turn around and walk away Brad yelled, “Fag! I should have fucked him!” and Tyler just watched as Josh’s face darkened and his hand grew steady around the gun at his side.

 

“What did you say?”

 

“I said suck my cock, bitch.”

 

Josh swung the gun up in one hand as he took two long strides toward Brad. Tyler heard himself screaming something and the next thing he knew Brad’s hands were clutched around his throat and Tyler’s ears were ringing with the echo of a gunshot.

 

“Josh!” He cried out again and Brad’s eyes were bulging as he choked on his own blood, “What did you do?”

 


	4. Chapter 4

Josh tore his eyes away from where Tyler was grinding against some random dude on the dance floor. He had left to go to the bathroom for all of five minutes and he came back to find this? Tyler and Mr. Macho dry humping to a Derek and the Dominos cover.

 

Sighing, Josh took a sip of his drink and left his seat at the bar again for some fresh air. He went out the front and stood on the porch of the bar, listening as the door shut against the pulsating music inside.

 

Of course this would happen, Josh thought bitterly. The image of the two of them dirty dancing rose in his mind again and Josh dug his palms into his eyes to erase it. This wasn't how he wanted this to go. Tyler wasn't supposed to... Josh scoffed, to what? Have fun? Groaning, he realized he was just being childish. How could he get mad over this? Tyler didn't know how he felt, how could he? Josh was too much of a wuss to tell him.

 

He closed his eyes and imagined again, like so many times before, what it might be like to tell Tyler how he felt. He thought about his friend's eyes crinkling in laughter and his lips turning up into a smile. He pictured himself wrapping his arms around Tyler and the warmth he would feel, the way-

 

" _Josh!_ "

 

Josh jerked at the scream. Tyler's scream. His happy little daydream shattered at the raw and hysterical sound.

 

He was running before his brain had time to process why Tyler would be screaming for him. His feet took him to the parking lot and he searched quickly for the source of his panic.

 

Josh felt his heart seize when he found it.

 

His mind was a blank as he took a sharp right and saw his car. His body moved for him, hands reaching for the backpack in the back seat, fingers wrapping around cold steel. His legs carried him away from his car as Tyler's voice, broken and desperate, cried, "Please, don't _do_ this!"

 

He watched himself raise the revolver and point it at the monster leaning over his friend.

 

"Get _off_ of him!" he heard himself growl and knew he was going to kill this bastard.

 

Tyler made some movement to get away and the guy shoved him back onto the car he was pinning him to, the metal groaning, at Josh instantly saw red.

 

" _HEY!_ " Josh got closer, his thumb finding the hammer on the gun, "I _said_ , Get. _OFF_. Him." he cocked it and waited for the monster to release his friend, waited for a clear shot.

 

The guy turned around, his ugly face smug and confident for a dead man, "You won't use that." He drawled and Josh roared, words ripping from his throat without an ounce of thought, " _Let him go_!"

 

Finally, _finally_ , Josh watched the guy release Tyler's hands and let go of his neck.

His friend tumbled gracelessly to the pavement and Josh flicked his eyes over long enough to see Tyler's face covered in blood and his eyes wide and white in the dark.

 

The guy said something then and Josh refocused his attention to him, his senses coming back to him. "Tyler?" he asked, needing to hear Tyler's voice, needing to know he'd made it in time.

 

"Yeah," he heard the shaky reply, "I'm okay."

 

All at once the sounds of the bar came back to Josh, the sound of his heart returned frantic and noisy in his ears. He held the gun and watched his friend's attacker, prickles of sweat breaking out onto his forehead as he felt the adrenaline washing over him. Tyler was on the ground, crawling, but safe. Josh took a step sideways and shielded Tyler from view once he was behind him.

 

His hands shook as his finger moved away from the trigger, the red in his vision receding. As his head cleared, Josh slowly lowered the gun.

 

"Listen, when a guy's screaming and crying like that, he's not having any fun!"

 

The gun at his side, the danger seemingly subsided, he turned and tried to help Tyler up.

 

"Fag! I should have fucked him!"

 

Josh stilled. His ears rang at the words and looking down into Tyler's bloodied face Josh felt his anger swiftly return.

 

A red sheet had fallen back over his eyes. The _audacity_ this piece of shit had.

 

"What did you say?" the words rolled slowly off his tongue and Josh felt possessed by his rage.

 

"I said suck my cock, bitch."

 

Josh felt himself moving forward, felt himself raising the gun.

 

Tyler was screaming behind him and the monster's throat was bursting. A fine mist of blood sprayed from the bullet wound in his neck and Josh stared with a sick sort of fascination as his victim dropped to the ground, spluttering and clutching his throat.

 

"Josh!" Tyler cried out and Josh was jerked back to reality, "What did you do?"

 

The gun felt heavy in his hand. The man he just shot was making his last noises and Josh watched until he stilled and his hands fell bloody and limp against his thighs.

 

There was a vacuum of silence before Josh felt everything come back into focus.

 

Tyler was saying his name. He just killed a man. Shot him in the throat.

 

Time slowed with each beat of his heart.

 

Josh breathed.

 

" _Josh?_ "

 

He turned and looked at Tyler. There was blood all over his nose and mouth. It had smeared across his cheeks and dripped dark maroon splotches into the fabric of his t-shirt.

 

"We have to call the police, we have to call 911."

 

Tyler was pulling out his phone and Josh noted there was blood drying on his friend's fingers as well.

 

"We'll tell them it was self defense. We'll tell them what happened." Tyler was saying and Josh leaned down and ripped Tyler's phone out of his hands and whipped it hard enough at the pavement to shatter the screen.

 

" _Hey!_ "

 

Josh stomped it beneath his heel a couple times for good measure.

 

Tyler stared up at him, mouth hanging open and eyes glassy, "Josh-?"

 

"We can't call the cops."

 

"But it was self defense, you saw what he almost-"

 

" _No_ ," Josh cut his friend off before he could picture the scene that led him to commit murder again, "They won't believe us."

 

"But-"

 

"Everybody in that bar saw you two," Josh ground out, "The way you two were dancing on each other- who the fuck is going to believe us?"

 

Tyler flinched and Josh felt a pang of guilt. This wasn't Tyler's fault. None of this should have happened.

 

Josh stuffed the gun into the back of his jeans and reached down to help Tyler up. He leveled Tyler with a look that told him to shut up and listen, "The police can't help us. We have to run now. Get in the car, clean up your face."

 

Tyler just gave a jerky nod and Josh wanted to give him a hug, wanted to tell him sorry, but he couldn't. All he could make himself do was move.

 

Josh dropped the gun onto the floor of his car and started the engine. They'd get as far away from here as they could. They'd go to Mexico.


	5. Chapter 5

Tyler felt like he was in a dream. One minute everything was fine, he was on vacation with his best friend, he was flirting and dancing and drinking and not thinking about his shit life in Ohio. The next minute he’s fleeing to Mexico… an accomplice to murder.

 

Wetting a shirt he packed with his water bottle, Tyler peered into the convertible’s side mirror and tried to wipe away what blood he could see off his face. It was hard to see in the dark and eventually he just gave up.

 

Instead he sat slumped in his seat, staring out at the passing trees and fields while his mind played what happened over and over again.

 

He’d almost been… he’d been assaulted. Josh had killed Brad. With _his_ gun. Why did he bring a gun?

 

Tyler tried to close his eyes but all he saw was Brad’s death playing on repeat on the backs of his eyelids. Keeping his eyes open didn’t help much either. And all he could hear was the gunshot, Brad’s gargling as he choked to death on his own blood.

 

Frustrated, Tyler leaned over and snapped on the radio only to have Josh turn and snap it off.

 

“I need distraction, Josh! I keep…. I keep seeing it.”

 

Josh said nothing.

 

“Josh?”

 

His friend was staring straight ahead, two hands on the wheel, back rigid.

 

“ _Josh?_ ”

 

“ _What_ , Tyler?” Josh bit and Tyler shrunk back in his seat.

 

It was quiet for a moment before Josh slowed down and pulled the car onto the side of the road. He sighed and regarded Tyler, “Shit, I’m sorry.”

 

“’s okay.” Tyler lied.

 

“No, it’s not. It’s not fucking okay!” Josh’s voice started to rise before he seemed to calm himself down again, “It’s not okay.” He repeated.

 

Crickets chirped all around the car as the two sat in silence for a long time.

 

Eventually, Josh croaked, “We have to keep moving,” and started up the car again.

 

Tyler turned his face away and let himself cry.

 

-//-

 

The sky was orangey-pink and the air was cold and dewy. Morning had finally come and Josh felt some tension leave his shoulders.

 

They were somewhere in Missouri, Josh knew. He’d driven south the moment they left the bar, not knowing which routes were the fastest to Mexico but knowing he had to get far away fast.

 

Pulling over at a rest stop, Josh got out and stretched his legs before going into the vestibule for a map. When he came back out his eyes fell upon Tyler, who was actually sleeping. A rare sight.

 

In the daylight his friend looked terrible. There was dried blood crusted around his nose and mouth, smudged by his ears and neck. The skin around the bridge of his nose and under his eyes was puffy and dark purple, but at least nothing looked broken.

 

“Tyler,” Josh reached out a hand to touch his friend’s shoulder and Tyler jerked awake, his eyes wild, “Hey, hey, it’s okay.”

 

His senses seemed to come back to him and Tyler peered up at him, “Where are we- _ow_ ,” he reached up and gently felt his face before leaning over the car and looking in the side mirror, “Shit,” he groaned.

 

Josh couldn’t help but stare and feel his heart break at the sight. This never should have happened. He should have protected him, should have stopped wallowing in his own self pity long enough to realize his friend was in trouble.

 

“Tyler,” Josh winced at the way his voice cracked on his friend’s name, “I’m so sorry.” Josh felt a knot form in his throat and tears spring to his eyes. He looked away and covered his face, not wanting Tyler to see him cry.

 

“Hey,” Tyler sounded alarmed, “It wasn’t your fault. If anything it was mine.”

 

“What?” Josh turned sharply at that, Tyler had been the _victim_ and hadn’t he been told time and time again it was never the victim’s fault?

 

“I was the one who went off with him…”

 

“Tyler, don’t. You could never have known he would try something like that. _I_ was the one who wasn’t watching. I should have kept a closer eye on you-”

 

“I’m not a child!” Tyler barked, his eyes challenging.

 

“No, I wasn’t saying…”

 

“Don’t think I can’t take care of myself, Josh – He _drugged_ me or something, how could I defend myself against that?” Tyler’s voice fell hushed at the end of his sentence and Josh just wanted to hug him and cry, “How could I?” Tyler whispered and looked up at Josh in honest bewilderment.

 

Giving in to his instincts, Josh leaned down and awkwardly hugged Tyler over the car door. He felt Tyler squeeze back and they stayed like that until Josh’s spine was twinging in pain. 

 

When they separated they both pretended not to notice the other’s face was wet.

 

Josh quickly wiped at his eyes and cheeks as he rounded the car. When he got in he pulled open the map and looked for the fastest route to Mexico.

 

“Y’know,” Tyler sniffed and then cringed at the pain it brought his nose, “Ow… Canada was probably closer.”

 

“That’s exactly why I want to go to Mexico.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Finding the route he needed to take, Josh folded up the map and handed it to Tyler before starting the car.

 

“Couple rules,” he said as he turned back onto the thruway, “No credit cards, no cellphones-”

 

“You smashed my cellphone.”

 

“No small talk with strangers, no using our real names-”

 

“You been on the run before?” Tyler squinted at him and Josh just grinned,

 

“And no speeding.”

 

“No speeding?”

 

“No cops.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Tyler was quiet for a moment before he said, “But, they don’t even know its us… right? You took the gun. We were far from home.”

 

“They’ll figure it out.” Josh countered, “It’s their job.”

 

Tyler was quiet after that.


End file.
